Tiscali Press Release - Tiscali Chooses Huawei%u2019s IP DSLAM for LLU Rollout

Major investment in 'next generation technology' with the world's leading vendor

Tiscali UK today reveals that it has selected Huawei Technologies' MA5300 IP DSLAM equipment as the technology to enable it to roll out LLU (Local Loop Unbundling) in the UK. The Huawei equipment is already being installed as part of Tiscali's initial LLU trial across 27 BT exchanges in London. Installation is expected to be completed by the end of May 2005.

Local Loop Unbundling offers the next phase of development for the broadband market in the UK, allowing competing operators to install their own equipment in BT's local exchanges, better control quality of service and offer new, faster and more competitive broadband products as well as enabling services such as Voice over IP, and Video on Demand.

Tiscali will be the first broadband provider to migrate existing customers to the new platform and is expecting to provision completely new customers by the end of July 2005. Subject to successful completion of the trial, the company plans to extend its unbundled network to over 200 exchanges by the end of the year and continue with further rollout in 2006/7 to a target of 600 exchanges nationally.

Tiscali evaluated a range of equipment from all of the leading manufacturers and decided on Huawei because, as the global market leader in IP DSLAM, it offered proven and stable next generation technology. The Huawei technology is already capable of delivering on a range of future technologies including full triple play services.

Mary Turner CEO Tiscali UK Limited says: "We chose Huawei because it is the market leader in IP DSLAM equipment supporting over one million lines across Europe. They have proven and future proof technology for the whole range from the network CPE to transmission equipment. Huawei also has a clear strategy for product development and a product portfolio that supports the full range of triple play services. It was also very important to us that Huawei has a significant operation in the UK with local customer and technical support, training, testing and R&D."

Huawei currently has over 1,300 staff in Europe and 200 based in the UK, with a significant increase planned over the rest of 2005.

William Xu, Huawei's President for Europe says: "We are very happy to be working with Tiscali. They are an aggressive and ambitious player in the broadband market and have a strong reputation for innovation and action. When they decide to do something they move very quickly."

This news comes hot on the heels of Tiscali Spa.'s recent strategic business plan statement in which the UK was highlighted as a market with great potential for LLU and a country earmarked for significant investment by the company (ref 13 April 2005, Tiscali: presentation of 2005-2007 business plan).